Sink or sail

October 9, 2012

By Shadow

When’s the last time you saw a Harley-Davidson ride on water? Well, if you attended the 28th annual America’s Cardboard Cup Regatta this past June, you would have seen a bigger-than-life-size orange and black one rolling across Crystal Lake, Illinois. The “Made in U.S.A.” crew for the cardboard Harley spent 400 hours constructing the bike… er, ah, the boat.

When it came time for the big bike to set out on its maiden voyage, it held its own and in the first heat, the crew rowed past its competitors in the paddle/oar-powered class. The huge Harley made it to the semi-finals, but sadly did not earn a spot in the finals. At least it didn’t sink like so many lesser vessels. And the crew did win two trophies for their efforts—first place for Most Creative Theme and second place for the spectator-selected People’s Choice Award. Not bad for a cardboard cruiser.

It was all in fun, as the proceeds from the event are donated to local charities. However, we would suggest that next year the crew build a V-Rod. Just think how the sleek styling of this racing machine would look as it slices through the surface of Crystal Lake.